In the field of telecommunications, numerous customers are connected with the switch of a telecommunications company via telecommunications lines. Customers are also sometimes referred to as subscribers. The switch is also often called an exchange or “PBX” (central office exchange operated by the telecommunications company). Between the subscriber and the switch, sections of telecommunications lines are connected with telecommunications modules. The telecommunications modules establish an electrical connection between incoming wires and outgoing wires of telecommunications lines. Plural telecommunications modules can be put together at a distribution point, such as a main distribution frame, an intermediate distribution frame, an outside cabinet or a distribution point located, for example, in an office building or on a particular floor of an office building. To allow flexibility in wiring some telecommunications lines are connected with first telecommunications modules in a manner to constitute a permanent connection. Flexibility is realized by so-called jumpers or cross connects, which flexibly connect contacts of a first telecommunications module with contacts of a second telecommunications module. These jumpers can be changed when, for example, a person moves within an office building to provide a different telephone (i.e., a different telephone line) with a telephone number the relocated person intends to keep.
Within a telecommunications module, the electrical connections between the incoming and outgoing wires of telecommunications lines are provided by contact elements with contacts at each end to which wires can be connected. In some telecommunications modules, the contact elements are all generally U-shaped so that the end contacts are all located on the same side of the module: examples of such modules are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,826 (Letailleur). Telecommunications modules are also known in which the contact elements extend between opposed sides of the module: examples of such dual-sided modules are described in EP-A-1 744 404 (Reichle & De-Massari AG); U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,204 (Saligny); U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,587 (Ellis et al); US-A-2006/0160404 (Alarcon et al); and EP-A-1 804 523 and 1 246 317 (3M Innovative Properties Company).
Telecommunications modules employing contact elements that extend between opposed sides of the module offer the advantage that the incoming and outgoing wires can be separated to respective sides of the module enabling more efficient use to be made of whatever space is available, and enabling installation procedures to be simplified. In some cases, the contact elements are arranged substantially side-by-side in a single row but it is also known to arrange the contact elements in two opposed rows with a view to providing a more compact telecommunications module, and hence a higher density of connections.
Some telecommunications modules employ contact elements, hereinafter referred to as disconnection contact elements, comprising two parts which resiliently engage one another at a disconnection point intermediate the ends of the contact element. The disconnection point allows a device to be inserted, from outside the telecommunications module, between the two parts of the contact element for various purposes. The device may, for example, be an electrically-insulating disconnection probe that is inserted to disconnect a line, or an electrically-conducting test probe that is inserted to test or monitor a line. In some cases, the device may be a functional plug that is inserted to provide, for example, over-voltage or over-current protection.
Examples of telecommunications modules incorporating disconnection contact elements are described in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,826; US-A-2006/0160404; EP-A-1 804 523; and EP-A-1 246 317.